billy's "case failure" thread gave me a little pause. I am fairly new to reloading (a few hundred rounds under my belt now) and I am currently reloading 9mm and .38 special brass out of the bucket at the range. I inspect every case (this is by far the longest step of my reloading) for mouth splits, primer rings and head wear. I've had great luck so far, but I am starting to wonder if this is a really stupid idea since I don't know what I'm getting? Should I be buying new brass? Should I only keep, say, Winchester cases and toss the rest? What do you guys do?
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I'll keep my freedom, guns and money. You can keep the "Change."
Don't forget to sort by headstamp, you'll get a lot more consistancy that way.
I used to do what you do & pick up anything I could but eventually the quest for accuracy took over from cost. Don't get me wrong, I still pick up discarded brass (especially after the cops have been using our range), keep good stuff for reloading and the rest for selling as scrap brass!!
I havn't used it in a long time but When I did I annealed it and got along just fine.You have to heat the whole body but thats easy with a propane torch.Wear heavy gloves.You dont have to quench. sam.
I havn't used it in a long time but When I did I annealed it and got along just fine.You have to heat the whole body but thats easy with a propane torch.Wear heavy gloves.You dont have to quench. sam.
Do not anneal the whole body, especially the head! If you soften the head you are risking, at the least the rim being torn off under extraction and at the worst, case head failure.
I have never needed to anneal pistol brass, only rifle brass & then only the neck & shoulder.
Last edited by wunhunglo; 08-04-2008 at 11:39 AM.
Reason: Computer can't spell
Years ago I'd pick up odd brass, like once I picked up 20 .240 Weatherby Mags. once fired very nice brass.
I'd thumble it and de-prime it. I'd put it on my table at a Gun Show and usually get enough to pay for the table. I had people hunting my table to look for odd brass.
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Aim real good we're nearly out of ammo.
Chances are, if someone left the brass behind they don't reload so it is probably once fired. I've heard alot about anealing and hear people to say quench. I'm no meallurgist but I do remember high school shop if you heat metal and let it cool on it's own it is anealing if you quench it, it hardens it. I have also loaded pistol ammo for over 20 years and have never had the need to aneal or trim it.
Chances are, if someone left the brass behind they don't reload so it is probably once fired. I've heard alot about anealing and hear people to say quench. I'm no meallurgist but I do remember high school shop if you heat metal and let it cool on it's own it is anealing if you quench it, it hardens it. I have also loaded pistol ammo for over 20 years and have never had the need to aneal or trim it.
not all metals harden when quenched & brass & copper alloys do not.
Do not anneal the whole body, especially the head! If you soften the head you are risking, at the least the rim being torn off under extraction and at the worst, case head failure.
I have never needed to anneal pistol brass, only rifle brass & then only the neck & shoulder.
I said "the whole body" not the "head which is really the "rim" on top of that there is no extractor in a revolver,only an ejector.Have you ever seen the rim torn off a casing by a revolver? I do anneal revolver cases,its cheaper than brass,and at my age there isn't much else to do. On top of that,I use carburetor cleaner in each chamber,in case all else fails. sam.
I said "the whole body" not the "head which is really the "rim" on top of that there is no extractor in a revolver,only an ejector.Have you ever seen the rim torn off a casing by a revolver? I do anneal revolver cases,its cheaper than brass,and at my age there isn't much else to do. On top of that,I use carburetor cleaner in each chamber,in case all else fails. sam.
Well I didn't find it crystal clear & I've been reloading for years, so a newbie might also be confused and do something dangerous like try & anneal a whole rifle case.
Correct I've never seen a rim torn off a revolver case but then again I don't know anyone who might have annealed the whole case either.
I have seen a stuck case in an auto pistol where the brass has been torn off just where the extractor grips it.
Enlighten me about using the carb cleaner in the chambers?? Are you talking about normal type cleaning or what?
Wunhunglo you made me go search and learn something new. I found that brass is always softened when heated no matter how it is cooled. The only way to harden brass is to work it. You sir are a genious.
Of course,I was only teasing you about the CC. I believe you once mentioned Scottish dry sense of humor and my ancestory is Scotch/Irish so you of all people should have caught that one.Glad I got one in on you. The reason I have annealed revolver casings is because of all the trauma we put them through,resizing,expanding the mouth,and crimping to insure powder ignition.Maybe it isn't completely necessary but I have very few cracked cases.Usually the primer pocket is my problem and usually on mag primer cases.You are right about a newby possibly heating rifle cartridges too far down.I wasn't talking about them,but should have explained. Pistols can tear the extraction ring out because they have an extractor. You post very good info and I am a fan of yours so keep up the good work. sam.
i wouldnt worry about mystry brass as long as the headstamp says its for the correct calibur. just look for signs of trouble, if you have trouble with one make of brass pull bullets and through them away.
SORT to me includes, but is not limited to, sorting by: head stamp, brass or nickel, brass that's already had primers removed, damaged brass that may need some repair, and anything else unique that I may notice while sorting.
I'll even pick up the truly hideous brass. This stuff cleaned up fine. Took a little extra time, but I'll shoot it! I don't care if some are a little pink.
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I child-proofed my house, but they still keep getting in!
Any thoughts on using range/mystery brass? 
